Week 8

I wanted to take the time out to thank my colleagues who have joined me on this journey to receive oru Masters degree so that we can improve the lives of children and families whom we encouter on a daily basis. I want to thank you for  your help and support along the way. I hope to hear from many of you in our next course.

Throughout this course i have learned that communication is key when communicating with others we have to learn how different cultures value and respond to one another differently and how this plays a cruical role in the early childhood field.

Working well-blog post 6

Working with a team can be very hard and easy some times. I remember being a community advisor while in college and as a leader on the floor comprised of at least 30 adults ranging from freshman to seniors in college; it was hard approaching some of the students because they just didn't want to be bothered. So in our collaboration meeting comprised of 10 community advisors we established a norm that we would respect and listen to everyones opionions and thought. This would  bring about a great floor and team building activities, to get the students more involved. Some of the closing rituals that we established at the end of our meetings were to come together in a cirlce and threw a small ball to each other one at a time and say one postive idea that was established that evening. Being a student who will be receiving her masters soon, i have established some relationships with my other collegues but i will continue to keep in contact because you never know when you will need someone.

Week 5-recent conflict

In my classroom there are a total of three teachers and my recent conflict was with one of my co-workers in which her last day is next Friday she is leaving her position to move on to another job; which is great we don't have any problems with that. But last Monday i noticed that several of our Cd's and books and felt board games were missing because the children had been asking about them. I asked both of my co-teachers about the supplies and the one teacher who is leaving on Friday stated that she took the materials and they were in her car. So two of the strategies that i used was compromise and the 3r's; reciprocal, respect and responsible in which i asked the teacher to use her lesson planning time to either make duplicates of the materials again, so that the children would not be losing out or give all the materials back. I felt that compromising would help both sides give up a little and gain a little by having the teacher leave the classroom in which her help wasn't going to be needed for that hour but for that gain the children would get their materials back. I felt as though the 3 R's were appropriate in this case because the matter concerned more than two people and we must have respect for the classroom by not taking materials and responsible because someone has to be held responsible for their actions. What are your thoughts?

Week 4

Throughout this course i am learning that ccommunication is key when talking with others to learn and to voice your opinion, i often perceive myself as a quiet person who doesn't voice her opinion often. People tell me all the time that i am soft spoken and do not like conflicts. As a child i have always mad facial expressions, which my mother would tell me that my face was going to get stuck that way, my facial expressions where part of my nonverbal communication which showed how i was really feeling about the situation. When i talk with others such as my Husband he tells me all the time that i cut him off and its really because i have so much to say and if i don't say it, i will forget later.;but with other people this doesn't happen often because i may not feel comfortable around them. As an educator i feel as though i do need to become more mindful of my facial expressions and how to become more open with my thoughts as these children whom i am encountered with i play a role in their lives.

I have learned that when communicating with others i need to get straight to the point and not "beat around the bush", i often times get my words mixed up when allows me to understand that i need to take more communication classes.

week 3 blog assignment

Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures? 

Communicating  with others is often a difficult thing to do but as i reflect on this course i have learned a great deal of information how the effective way of communicating with groups and cultures. As an educator i have learned that listening and studying groups and cultures allows for others to understand there importance and values. As a teacher i sometimes use non-verbal communication  to communicate with my students to see if they understand my thoughts and interaction of communicating with them.

If yes, in what ways do you communicate differently? 


Sign-language is something at my center we are trying to do effectively to teach and communicate with our children. As an educator for an Hispanic child who doesn't know any English, i am trying my best daily to communicate with her by learning Spanish and talking with my Spanish co-workers on ways in which i can effectively communicate with the child.

Week 2 Assignment 2

Part 1: This week is a crazy week as i am trying to complete two weeks of homework before my wedding June 30th which has already passed when you are commenting on this blog post. 

This week i watched the TV show America's Next Top Model, i don't ever watch this show because i just don't find it interesting, but i must say watching tv with the sound off is very interesting.

What do you think the characters’ relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating

As i watched this show i think the characters relationships seem to be very friendly as the ladies are smiling for the camera and nodding there heads to the camera man. I the girls are happy and overjoyed with excitement because as the title says America's next top model they are competing with one another.


What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing

Some of the girls seem to be feeling sad and one girl covered her face and then undercover d her face and tears were coming down her face. Some girls seemed angry as you  see their hands up in the hair and their heads moving around in a circle.  While others girls seemed very happy as they were jumping up and down and smiling.





  
What assumptions did you make about the characters and plot based on the ways in which you interpreted the communication you observed?

The assumptions that i made about the characters and the plot  is that the girls seemed happy as we know often times people hide their frustrations behind a smile as i watched the show with the sound on the girls were hiding their frustration of not getting the right smile or photo shoot and the girls couldn't show there frustration to the camera man because of the thought of being sent home.  

Would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know well?

Yes my assumptions would have been correct because the shows i watch; i watch them all the time,several times a week on DVR or on Demand. And often times i watch re-runs of the same show which allows me to see things i didn't notice before.

Blog assignment week 1 assignment 2

When i think of someone who exhibits competent communication i think of my Cousin Tonya she works for the Chicago Tribune as a Marketing Manager for the newspaper. Every time i hear this women speaks even at little functions she comes off very knowledgeable,confident and warm. She is able to control the crowd, her voice is loud and clear. Tonya is able to answers questions on the spot as if she rehearsed what others might have questions about. She always has a smile and comes off very friendly and sincere. I remember in College having had to take a communication class in which we had to say a five minute speech my speeches never where five minutes because my voice would get dry, i would get nervous and rush through my speeches. So my goal in life is to be able to speak in front of a crowd and that is what i admire about Tonya because she is a natural at speaking in front of others. I would not want to model any of my communication behavior after this person because i feel as though she does a well enough job and i honestly can learn from her.

One Hope and One gain

One hope that i have when working with children and families is that; all families will continue to not put so much pressure onto teachers. As educators we do our best to provide the best education for children and parents should continue to provide education for their children in the home setting. I also want to continue to be respectful of the many diverse backgrounds that may walk into my classroom, as theses families provide numerous educational expereinces for both myself and other children.

One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice.

One goal that i have is to continue to be an advocate for both the field and my early childhood center in which i am apart of. The early childhood field is not very appreciated and as a person who believes in the education of all children but especially of early head start children i feel that i should be a great advocate and leader for the field.

Thank you all for taking the time reading my blog each week. I have enjoyed working with you during this course and learning about many of your different experiences. Good luck to each of you and your future endeavors!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

For this assignment i am going to deal with a family that i have never dealt with before in my early childhood career so far. So as i imagine that today while at work, my Family support specialist enrolls a little girl from Russia, the little girl is very shy and scared because she has never been to a early head start program before.As i prepare myself and my co-teacher about this girl i feel the five most influential thing that will help me with her family are: 1) become aware of culture and familiarize myself with that information. 2) Ask for family photos of family to make the child feel more secure. 3)If she speaks a different language find a translator or familiarize myself with a couple of words. 4) learn about their rituals and culture. 5) Lastly, just learn from the child as she may teach me something about herself that i don't no such as can she socialize with others, communicate with others. 


As i prepare for myself to work with this family i will remind myself about cultures and how they are all different and how influential each family are to my center. These preparations will make my families feel welcomed and appreciated and

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression

Just recently i attended an outing with my family and a Caucasian girl was talking to my brother-in-law just having normal conversation, when his wife approached and asked what they were talking about. The Caucasian girl stated, this is my new friend, we are friends because i watch BET(Black entertainment Television) which is an actual tv show, which had nothing to do with there conversation, i felt very disrespected and confused.  


In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?
That this Caucasian lady has to relate to other races by trying to relate to their social life.

 What feelings did this incident bring up for you? 

I felt ashamed, and i felt that the young lady had to associate tv shows or music to relate to the other race.

What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

I would have change the ideas of the Caucasian girl and allow her to understand that all black individuals don;t listen to hip hop or rap or watch black tv shows.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

• Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?

As a teacher working in an Early Head Start school, we work mainly with low-income families and i had one teacher who is from a temp agency who was coming out to help for just week. She stated,"why don't you get the summers off, you need it with these families and kids, and how is it working with low-income children".

I felt that this was a type of microinvalidation in which we means i need a break because i deal with low-income families and the kids are bad, all teachers need a break not just early head start teachers. She also made it seems as if low-income children are so much different from "normal children", all children have behavior, and developmental concerns.

• In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people

After hearing another teacher say that i feel that we should really consider who we are letting come into our early head start or even early childhood programs to work with our children because it still seems like more and more teachers are here just for a pay check and not for the kids. I feel that i have a genuine passion to work with low-income families and children because just like others they need an head start just like other children.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I spoke with my co-worker Meraj who is from India, she described her culture as very religious and family oriented. She stated that culture tells about the people and their historic backgrounds. Her family is forces education and having the women cover their top half of their body with the religious scarf. Meraj stated that diversity is one's race and is how they define who they are as people.  From listening to Meraj speak i having alot of respect for her culture, they believe in having the best for their children

Meraj's religious backgrounds is similar to the information i learned in this class which is culture relates to religion and spirituality. She didn't feel as though her culture was one of a dominant culture because they way her culture is raised she feels it doesn't have anything to do with government and policies formed.

From taking this class, i am realizing the everyone's culture is different and each person and different families celebrate culture in a variety of ways which brings even more meaningful experiences to their religion.

My family Culture

Only being allowed to bring three items to an unknown country would be hard for me since i am the type of person that brings at least three bags for a weekend trip. But since i have to choose, i would bring my wedding ring, a book, and my family photo album.

I would bring my wedding ring because this would give me great memories of my soon to be husband(June 30th) and the great time and the laughter that we shared, which would bring me up when i am feeling down.

I would bring a book, because reading a book would allow me not to become bored since i am unfamiliar with the country that i am in.

Lastly, i would a family photo album, bringing a family album would allow me to remember my family members and the great people who care and love me.

When i think of Research......

When i first reviewed this course not only was i extremely nervous, but i felt discouraged, but after taking several deep breaths, i overcame my fears. Throughout this course i learned and gained many insights that can carry me through my continuous coursework at Walden University but in my career as an educator.

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

Some of the insights that i have gained was first learning how to conduct research, and some of the language that comes along with it such as Control group, independent variables and etc.

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

I learned that research is not hard at all especially when you are very interested in the topic. Research was something that was new for me, but i definitely understand that research is crucial for the field of education as it is a determining factor for the lives of our children.

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

I learned many things about planning, designing and conducting research in early childhood, as it is important to take your time and focus on the topic at hand. As we learned from our text that Researched is simply a matter of planning. Having great ideas and back-up research is a determining factor.

What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

My first challenge was overcoming my fears of taking this course, i met by getting advice from my colleagues and family. I also encountered learning the research terms and their meanings, i overcame this fear but doing research  on both the Internet and the text.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course

My true passion and understanding for this field has grown a great deal for this field and i am appreciative for those researchers who have paved the way for educators like myself.

I want to take the time out to thank my colleagues for all their support, and i hope to see you all in the next course.

Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA):

• What are some of the current international research topics?

Malawi

Coordinating the Development and Implementation of the 2003 – 2013 National Action Plan (NAP) for Children in Malawi

Nigeria

Assessment of the Caring Practices in Two Motherless Babies’ Homes in Abia State, Nigeria and the Development and Delivery of a Nutrition Training Program to the Staff of These Homes to Improve Nutrition of Children in Their Care

• What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

Some surprising facts/insights i gained about the early childhood after exploring this website was a topic called  A "Generative curriculum" approach which is a learner-focused approach - drawing as much as possible on the learner's experiences in their personal and professional lives;

an ecological approach - placing individuals, programs and policies into an interactive and dynamic context and seeking to plan activities and interventions to maximize resonating impact throughout the larger ecology;

a capacity building approach - aiming to strategically strengthen the capacities of participants to effectively fulfill their mandates in their professional position and to be accountable to their constituents and the broader ECD community in their countries. Although most education activities claim this as a general 'purpose', the ECDVU program addresses capacity development in a specific, strategic manner and many more( http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/generative.php). Through the generative curriculum the school is about to help and work professioanlly to help reach the childs best potential.

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
The Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) works with nominees of participating countries to enhance the country's social and economic development through addressing the needs of their youngest citizens and the families and communities which nurture them.

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

I chose to share a positive example of the effects of research on children and/or families which is the attachment theory, as many educators know in all early childhood centers or home day care centers children go through the attachment stage. Attachment is an emotional bond to another person in which most children show to their parents.  Job Bowlby is the first attachment theorist, describing attachment as a lasting psychological connectedness between human beings. The attachment theory is a positive example because it allows parents to understand the components of attachment such as safe haven, secure base, and separation distress these are the stages that their child/children goes through when something new is occurring  such as going to daycare for the first time. Without this research on children, educators would not no whats going on with children, as they cry loudly for their parents or guardians. I am happy Job Bowlby conducted this study, its makes my life much easier, and with several trainings i attended in the past i know what and how to comfort children.

Research Topic

This week i am learning more about a topic that brings passion and hope to my heart . During week 1, i was thinking about a topic that i thought was crucial for children's development as well as something that Teachers need more training on. I decided for the research stimulation question i decided to research more on the topic of Parental/ Family  involvement  on student success. This subject really hit home for me because as i stated before i find it profound when parents don't have a clue on whats going on in their child's school education instead they use early childhood professionals as babysitters instead of educators. I would like to study more on the statistics about the success rate of families that are involved with the children's education, not saying parents who are not involved  with the education of their children will fail, but as we all know there are parents who can care less about the development of their child and there are parents who are busy but take the time out for the education of their children.

Final Blog Assignment

Through this course i have gained valuable knowledge and insight about other agencies and their thoughts on the importance of an early childhood education. Although i was unable to get in contact with someone in another country, that brought me great sadness and frustration. Although their are several meanings for consequences i must reflect on the agencies that i learned and gained more insight about. Three reflections that brought me a better insight was the understanding about other agencies and there influential affects on others in there country or state. I enjoyed reading articles and initiatives that agencies conduct and also hearing the podcast in which other early childhood educators make an positive impact on the lives of others. I also feel as though i have grown professionally because i have learned about what is going on in other countries or states and how i can continue to be an advocate in the State Of Illinois to make an impact on the lives of the children in which i come in contact with.

One goal that i have, is to continue to learn about other agencies and also to continue to communicate with my friend who teaches in Morocco so that maybe i can learn about the issue and trends that are happening in her country. I also want to continue to learn and stay in connect with my classmates so that we can complete this achievement together.

Getting to know International Contacts-Part 3

This week I will be explored the UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” website. I will share three insights i have learned and gained while reviewing the site. Before reviewing the website i have never heard of this place but according to the website their mission is to, "contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information"(http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco/).


Underneath the heading of education, I enjoyed reading about there literacy initaitve which promotes literacy around the world, and to make literacy a fun experience. I also learned that UNESCO's early childhood education program thrives for outstanding early childhood care both for the well-being and holistic development of the child. Their mission is to support early childhood policy development with the aim to build a solid foundation for a child’s lifelong learning.

I also learned that UNESCO wishes to achieve gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality. I think this is a fanstatic idea and i hope more orgnizations will try to reach the same goal.

Week 6-Sharing Web Resources

Looking back on the Black Child Development Institute i have gained an exceptional amount of knowledge as i explore the website again because i have not received a newsletter yet although i have subscribed several times. Learning from this week about equity and excellence in care, i learned that the Black Child Development Institute has initiatives going for their Pre-K program it focuses on, "PreK-3 strategies that are  dedicated to improving systems for children through age 8; easing transitions and ensuring continuity for children and families through child care, PreK and K-12; and seamlessly connecting high-quality early childhood and PreK programs with high-quality elementary schools"( Prek-3, 10 February, 2012).

Exploring through the website i learned that about the Child Health Talk this is, "a quarterly publication, generously funded by State Farm Insurance, which provides a range of information for families with young children on topics related to their health and well-being" (Child Talk, 10 February 2012). As all educators know children's health is over the rise for obesity and heart concerns and it is up to us to reach out the parents and relay the message how our children's health is at risk. This is a common issue and trend that many centers and early childhood centers should be focusing on, because the issue of childhood obesity is on the rise.
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Parent Empowerment Project:
This is another area within the website of which i explored. The Parent Empowerment Project was designed  by and for low-income families where they talk about the importance of being children's first teachers. These groups discuss child development and parenting skills that not alot of parents no about

Resources
Black Child Development Institute. Prek-3. Retrieved from  http://nbcdi.org/blog/2010/09/10/prek-3rd/

Getting to know your International Contacts-part 2

Three insights i learned from the Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website: (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/.

1.One of their initatives is to prepare future and current leaders to build and leverage knowledge that promotes the healthy development of children and families and brings high returns to all of society.

2. The Harvard Universtiy Global childrens initiative plans to improve the life outcomes of all children in the united states as well as in other countires.

3. One insight that i learned which is so true about the growth and development of our children is that the Harvard Global children's initiative fouses on, "the healthy child development as the foundation of economic prosperity, strong communities, and a just society, and our mission is to advance that vision by using science to enhance child well-being through innovations in policy and practice"( Harvard University, 2012). As educators we must look at our children as our future leaders and it is a must that these children be brought up with a healthy development and a good foundation, we have to truly try our best because this is our future.

Listening to Barbara Jones from the podcast i learned that she founded the Pine Grove School, which is a montessori school which was issued in the exchange magazine. As she was telling her story i find it intriguing how all educators find there way to the education field, as she learned about her passion by helping other children and learning how she can improve others lives.

Sharing Web Resources

I have been studying the website National Black Child Development Institute(NBCDI although i have yet to receive a newsletter in the mail. I have learned so many things from the website about this organization and how it relates to me and my career. As a educator for Early Head Start we both promote school readiness, as a teacher i track my students success through their assessments, and progression throughout the year so that we can work closely with the parents. The NBCDI with support from the foundation of child development they lead a campaign to improve children's chances for school success. I really enjoy reading about how other states are preparing children for their future.

One thing that caught my eye in which i think would be great think to discuss with others is the child obesity rate as many of us know childhood obesity is on the rise, but one thing i did not know was that childhood obesity is only a big concern for African Americans and Latino Children and that is something that i would like to research more about. First Lady Michelle Obama is campaigning all over the country about childhood obesity and the issues with the school lunches, one of the things that my center is doing is the I'm Moving I'm Learning exercise by promoting 60 minutes of exercise each day for our children rather is outside play,indoor play or gross motor in the classroom.

Another insight that i had while learning about the organization was that, as it is hard to believe the politicians some politicians agree and support the early childhood field. The NBCDI held their 11th annual head start conference in which policy makers,politicians and researchers were there to come up with and promote positive child development in young children.

I believe this organization is doing a great job of reaching out to the community although they mostly try to relate to the African American community because of so many factors that this group may or may not have. And for over 40 years, the National Black Child Development Institute its mission to improve and  advance the lives of Black children and their families, through advocacy and education.

Reference
National Black Child Development Institute. (2012, January 22). Home,About,Initiatives. Retrieved from http://nbcdi.org/

Getting to know your International Contacts-Part 1

Unfortunately i was unable to find a second international contact so with that saying i have to do the alternate assignment in which i listened to a podcast as well learned about poverty in China. Listening to Susan Lyon from the Podcast i have learned how her passion started for the field of education  when she was just 22-years old. She stated that she saw a window in children's mind and Susan wanted to find outlets and inspiration for these children to continue to grow. Susan initiated the Innovated Teacher project which was held in both public and private schools in Northern California, which provided an in depth approach inspired by Reggio Emilio . She was inspired about how she wanted children to progress and learn, and Susan always wanted to be an advocate for children. I applaud Susan for all her hard work and dedication to young children.

I researched China from The Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre’s page http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/).

Three insights that i gained from studying this website is that:

1. 4.2 million Chinese children live in absolute poverty and 8.7 million live in disadvantaged conditions

2. Not enough new jobs in the non-state sector have yet been created and an estimated 14.6 million are without a full-time job - an unemployment rate of 12.3 per cent.

^{3. The Urban Social Security reform has had to adapt to protect people from different forms of poverty.}
http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

4.  life expectancy at birth is 71 years, and 85 per cent of the population aged over 15 are literate.

Sharing Web Resources

The organization that i choice to receive a newsletterfrom was The National Black Child development institute. The website is as follows http://nbcdi.org/support/sign-up-for-nbcdi-newsletters/. I thought that this would be an interesting newsletter as well website to look into because i have never heard of this organization before.

As i began to research there information i learned that their mission is to improve the lives of black children and families through education and advocacy. This organization only works with children from birth to the age of fourteen, over the years this organization has had several accomplishments and here are some:

 Working to gain public support to provide access to universal early care and education which has become a priority for governors in more than half of the states;

 Promoting publicly supported quality child care programs for mothers who were entering the work force in increased numbers, resulting in the enactment and special allocation of funds by a substantial number of states for child care; 

 Implementing and expanding a community based nationwide intervention/prevention program entitled Entering the College Zone from five to twenty five cities to get more disadvantage middle school students on the college track.

One of the task that this organization does that hit home for me was that they promote a literacy program called Love to read in which they communicate with children and families and share the importance of early literacy. This hit home for me because at my center we have a current program called Raising a Reader in which we allow children to check out books like the library system which allows parents to read with their children which promotes cuddling time. I can't wait to  learn more about this organization when i receive my newsletters.

Establishing Professional Contacts

Like most of my classmates, i too was very nervous after reading the assignment i very overwhelmed and confused for a while. Then i began to get over my nervousness and gather my thoughts. I tried to get in contact with three international early childhood professionals but no one responded to my emails, in which left me to have a slight panic attack. But then i remembered that one of my college friends who was a teacher in St. Louis left her job as an kindergarten teacher to move to Moroccoo to teach school there. I began to communicate with her over face book and she is open to communicating with me about the school systems there. She stated that the school system is similar to the states the only difference is that the kids are Moroccan and European and Spanish. But throughout this course i will communicate with her but also do the alternate assignment on expanding my resources.

After looking at the various resources for the blog assignment i thought  it would be interesting to learn more about the National Black child development institute because i have never heard of it as well as the Global fund for children.

After reading about the National Black child ddevelopment institute i learned that this institute focuses on the improvement of black children through social services, and technology.There inittiatives focus on child welfare,literacy, education, and childrens health just to name a few. http://nbcdi.org/about/.

I also resourced the Global Fund for children which is a program that helps children around the world. This program believes that all children deserve a chance and have rights in life and they make this happen through various donations. I hope that i can get in contact with them about learning more about there program.